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What to Look For in Before and After Photos

There are thousands of plastic surgeons who display their before and after photos online via social media, forums, and practice websites. However, at our Guilderland cosmetic surgery practice we encourage our patients to personally see us for a consultation and review our photos while they are at the office.

Reviewing photos during a consultation makes it easier for patients to have their questions answered immediately after scrutinizing the images. Plus, there are patients who only want their before and after photos reviewed at our offices and do not allow their photographs to be posted online.

Once you have decided to schedule a personal consultation, we suggest you consider the following when reviewing before and after photos:

Ask for photos of patients that are similar in age, height, weight, body frame, gender, and ethnicity as you. This will help you obtain a more realistic picture of what to expect from the outcome of the procedure.

Check for consistency in the images. Specifically, check for consistency in the lighting and angles of the patients. Having a photo taken from more than one angle (front and side profile views) is better.

Look for scarring. Any type of surgery that involves incisions will eventually lead to scarring. However, the surgeon’s skill, type of incision used during the procedure, and how quickly you heal are some of the factors that can influence whether or not the scarring will be noticeable.

Look for symmetry. Although natural asymmetry exists between two body parts, a good plastic surgeon should be able to achieve aesthetic balance.

Lastly, figure out if you really like what you see. If the results look unnatural to you, consider other options.